U.S. patent application number 10/905322 was filed with the patent office on 2006-06-29 for keypad for portable wireless devices.
This patent application is currently assigned to SONY ERICSSON MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS AB. Invention is credited to Debra K. Stephens.
Application Number | 20060142071 10/905322 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 36612454 |
Filed Date | 2006-06-29 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060142071 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Stephens; Debra K. |
June 29, 2006 |
KEYPAD FOR PORTABLE WIRELESS DEVICES
Abstract
A keypad includes a plurality of keys that can be selectively
coupled electrically with a printed circuit board to create
electrical signals representative of a characters to be input to
the portable wireless device. Each key further includes a plurality
of contact points wherein each contact point can be separately
electrically coupled with the printed circuit board to input a
character associated with that contact point. The keypad can be
switched between a singular mode in which all the contact points
for a given key will refer to the same input character and a
multiple mode in which each contact point for a given key will
refer to a different input character. In addition, at least some of
the contact points for each key can be programmed by the user to
assign desired characters to specific contact points.
Inventors: |
Stephens; Debra K.; (Cary,
NC) |
Correspondence
Address: |
MOORE AND VAN ALLEN PLLC FOR SEMC
P.O. BOX 13706
430 DAVIS DRIVE, SUITE 500
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK
NC
27709
US
|
Assignee: |
SONY ERICSSON MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS
AB
Nya Vattentornet
Lund
SE
|
Family ID: |
36612454 |
Appl. No.: |
10/905322 |
Filed: |
December 28, 2004 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
455/575.1 ;
455/90.3 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06F 3/0238 20130101;
H04M 1/23 20130101; H04M 1/72466 20210101; H04M 1/7246 20210101;
G06F 3/0234 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
455/575.1 ;
455/090.3 |
International
Class: |
H04M 1/00 20060101
H04M001/00 |
Claims
1. A keypad for a portable wireless device comprising: a plurality
of keys that can be selectively coupled electrically with a printed
circuit board to create electrical signals representative of a
characters to be input to the portable wireless device; and a
plurality of contact points on each key wherein each contact point
can be separately electrically coupled with the printed circuit
board to input a character associated with that contact point.
2. The keypad of claim 1 wherein the keypad can be selectively
switched between a singular mode in which all the contact points
for a given key will refer to the same input character or a
multiple mode in which each contact point for a given key will
refer to a different input character.
3. The keypad of claim 1 wherein at least some of the contact
points for each key can be programmed.
4. An overlay keypad that fits over a standard keypad on a portable
wireless device, the overlay keypad comprising: a plurality of keys
that can be selectively coupled with a plurality of contact points
on a printed circuit board within the portable wireless device to
input a character associated with that contact point/key pairing
such that when the overlay keypad is fit over the standard keypad,
the contact points associated with the overlay keypad become active
while the contact points for the standard keypad are made
inactive.
5. The overlay keypad of claim 4 wherein at least some of the
contact points for each key can be programmed.
6. An alternate keypad that can replace a removable standard keypad
on a portable wireless device, the alternate keypad comprising: a
plurality of keys that can be selectively coupled with a plurality
of contact points on a printed circuit board within the portable
wireless device to input a character associated with that contact
point/key pairing such that when the alternate keypad is used in
place of the standard keypad, the contact points associated with
the alternate keypad become active while the contact points for the
standard keypad are made inactive.
7. The keypad of claim 6 wherein at least some of the contact
points for each key can be programmed.
8. A portable wireless device comprising: a removable standard
keypad having a first plurality of keys; a removable alternate
keypad having a second plurality of keys; a printed circuit board
having a plurality of contact points that can form an electrical
signal when brought into contact with a key from one of the first
or second plurality of keys; such that when the alternate keypad is
used in place of the standard keypad, the contact points associated
with the alternate keypad become active while the contact points
for the standard keypad are made inactive.
9. The portable wireless device of claim 8 wherein there are
multiple alternate keypads each having a different character
mapping.
10. The portable wireless device of claim 9 wherein a character
mapping for a particular alternate keypad is in memory within the
portable wireless device and can be activated when that particular
alternate keypad is attached to the portable wireless device.
Description
BACKGROUND
[0001] Portable wireless devices such as mobile phones have evolved
into devices that transmit and receive data as well as voice
information. The primary user interface for a portable wireless
device is its keypad. Unfortunately a typical portable wireless
device keypad can only accommodate about 12 keys.
[0002] The keypad is primarily responsible for providing an input
means for numerical digits so that telephone numbers can be dialed.
With expanding data and navigation capabilities, however, the
typical keypad is being pressed into extra duty. Current keypad
designs stamp multiple alpha-numeric characters on each key to
indicate that any of these characters can be input. The primary
input for each key remains its numerical value. To input one of the
other characters, the user is required to press the keypad multiple
times within a short time period. This has the effect of toggling
through the list of characters for that particular key. The
portable wireless device's display is generally used to provide
visual feedback to the user as she presses a key. This allows the
user to know when to stop pressing a key when the desired character
has been reached.
[0003] In addition to the printed characters on each key, the
portable wireless device can provide for the input of many
additional characters per key using the display and a software
algorithm. The additional characters include punctuation, small
icons, and the like that are used in text messaging and other
messaging applications.
[0004] Currently, the overall user experience for numerical and
text entry is cumbersome and unsatisfactory. For a user to "type"
the address and content of a text message requires significantly
more keystrokes than characters used.
[0005] What is needed is a keypad that can accommodate more
characters without having to resort to multiple key presses of the
same key.
SUMMARY
[0006] The present invention comprises a keypad for a portable
wireless device. The keypad includes a plurality of keys that can
be selectively coupled electrically with a printed circuit board to
create electrical signals representative of a characters to be
input to the portable wireless device. Each key further includes a
plurality of contact points wherein each contact point can be
separately electrically coupled with the printed circuit board to
input a character associated with that contact point. In another
embodiment, an overlay or alternate keypad is included that can be
adapted to fit over the existing plurality of keys or in place of
the existing plurality of keys. The overlay or alternate keypad
contains additional characters that correspond to the plurality of
contact points.
[0007] The keypad can be switched between a singular mode in which
all the contact points for a given key will refer to the same input
character and a multiple mode in which each contact point for a
given key will refer to a different input character as specified on
the overlay keypad. If the overlay keypad is implemented, the act
of attaching the overlay keypad over the plurality of keys switches
the keypad from the singular mode to the multiple mode.
[0008] In addition, at least some of the contact points for each
key can be programmed by the user to assign desired characters to
specific contact points.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] FIG. 1 is an illustration of a wireless portable device and
a typical keypad.
[0010] FIG. 2 is an illustration of a standard keypad and an
overlay keypad that is sectioned to accommodate additional
characters.
[0011] FIG. 3 is an illustration of an alternate keypad that can be
used in place of a removable standard keypad.
[0012] FIG. 4 is an illustration of an alternate keypad showing an
alternate orientation.
[0013] FIG. 5 is an illustration of a key on a keypad showing
contact points for each section.
[0014] FIG. 6 is an illustration of a wireless portable device and
a keypad that is sectioned to accommodate multiple characters per
key.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0015] FIG. 1 illustrates a typical portable wireless device
(mobile phone in this instance) 100. This example shows a display
110 and a standard keypad 120. Keypad 120 is comprised of 12
individual keys that are labeled like a standard alpha-numeric
telephone keypad. For instance, the top center key is primarily
labeled "2" and has the letters "abc" underneath to indicate that
these letters can be input if a particular set of keystrokes is
made. In this example, each key has only one underlying electrical
point of contact to a printed circuit board (or the like). Thus, to
input the letter "c" it is necessary to press the key four times to
cycle through the other choices before getting to the desired "c".
Under this system it would take a user 18 key presses to enter the
word "h-e-l-l-o" as opposed to five.
[0016] The present invention proposes dividing the keys of a keypad
into multiple sections wherein each section can accommodate a
distinct character. There are at least two implementations of the
present invention. One is to provide an overlay (removable) keypad
that can be affixed over the original keypad or in place of the
original keypad on the portable wireless device by the user when
additional characters are desired.
[0017] Another implementation integrates the characters into the
primary keypad. In either case, the components comprising the
keypad that help convert user input (a key press) to an electrical
signal must provide separate contact points to an underlying
printed circuit board (PCB). This allows the circuitry to
distinguish the user's intent when pressing a key.
[0018] FIG. 2 illustrates a standard keypad 210 and an overlay
keypad 220 that is sectioned to accommodate additional characters
as compared to the standard keypad 210. The overlay keypad 220
shown here is partitioned into 32 keys, 20 more than a standard
keypad.
[0019] Each key on the overlay or alternate keypad has its own
electrical contact to the PCB within the portable wireless device.
When a key is pressed it electrically couples with a PCB or the
like to create an electrical signal representative of the character
associated with the key. One implementation has the overlay keypad
comprised of a semi-rigid material that has numbers, letters, or
characters printed on each key in the area that corresponds to a
key press. The user snaps the overlay keypad into place over the
standard keypad. The action of snapping the keypad into place can
also serve as the trigger that activates the alternate contact
points for each key such that each contact point is now associated
with its printed character on the overlay keypad. In other words,
when the overlay keypad is fit over the standard keypad, the
contact points associated with the overlay keypad become active
while the contact points for the standard keypad are made
inactive.
[0020] FIG. 3 is an illustration of an alternate keypad 300 that
can be used in place of a removable standard keypad. In this
embodiment, the standard keypad 210 is removable. Once removed, an
alternate keypad 300 that accommodates many additional characters
can be set in place. The alternate keypad will have the same
overall dimensions as the standard keypad but will take advantage
of all or nearly all of the surface space to provide for additional
characters. After snapping an alternate keypad into place, the user
can use a menu function and navigate the portable wireless device
to associate the new keypad with a contact point mapping stored in
the portable wireless device. The portable wireless device can
store multiple contact point mappings to accommodate multiple
alternate keypads.
[0021] FIG. 4 is an illustration of an alternate keypad showing an
alternate orientation. An alternate keypad 400 can also be oriented
differently than the standard keypad. For instance, it may be more
intuitive for a user to use an alpha keypad that is organized has a
4.times.8 table rather than an 8.times.4 (i.e., more of a landscape
effect as opposed to portrait).
[0022] Yet another embodiment integrates additional characters into
the primary keypad. FIGS. 5 and 6 herein illustrate individual keys
as rectangular. Each key is sectioned into five distinct areas, the
four corners and the center. Each corner corresponds to a secondary
character such as a letter of the alphabet or other symbol or icon
while the center section is reserved for its typical numerical
value.
[0023] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional perspective illustration of a
key on a keypad showing contact points for each section. The top of
the key (whether an overlay or integrated) is imprinted with up to
four characters in each corner as well as a numerical value in the
center. When the user applies pressure to any one of these areas
that part of the key is designed to descend toward the PCB ahead of
the areas not experiencing as much direct pressure. This will cause
the contact point associated with that section to electrically
connect with the PCB. This contact point has been "programmed" to
be associated with a particular character which will be shown on
the portable wireless device's display.
[0024] FIG. 6 is an illustration of a wireless portable device 600
and integrated keypad 620 that is sectioned to accommodate multiple
characters per key. The keypad 620 has been shown imprinted with
numeric characters in their traditional locations. In addition,
English alphabetic characters have been imprinted in the various
corners of the keys 625. Since the alphabet contains fewer letters
than spaces available there are many blank locations remaining.
These remaining locations can be programmed to be associated with
punctuation marks, icons, symbols, or even shortcut function keys.
The surface of the keypad 620 itself can be comprised of a material
that allows a user to draw or write a chosen symbol. This provides
a visual cue so the user need not remember what character is
programmed in each blank space 630.
[0025] There may be many times that the user does not need the
additional characters such as when dialing a numeric telephone
number. To give the user another degree of flexibility, the keypad
can be set to singular mode or to multiple mode. Singular mode
causes a key press to initiate an electrical signal indicative of
the numeric value (or center value) on the key regardless of what
section of the key has been pressed. Singular mode causes all
contacts associated with that key to default to the numeric value
(center labeled value) associated with the key. This ensures quick
and accurate user input when only numbers are required.
[0026] Multiple mode, however, causes each contact on each key to
initiate a different electrical signal based on that key's
definition. Multiple mode is most useful when the user input
requires text or other characters in addition to numerical
input.
[0027] Switching between singular mode and multiple mode can be
achieved through a menu selection or a hard wired "hot" key 635
placed somewhere on the portable wireless device 600.
[0028] As the figures have shown, each key can accommodate up to
four additional characters that can be input with a single key
press. A typical numeric keypad is comprised of 12 keys, one for
each digit 0-9 and separate keys for the "*" and "#" characters.
Thus, there is room for 48 additional characters. The English
alphabet is made up of 26 characters leaving 22 potential
programmable locations that can be filled with additional
characters such as punctuation marks, symbols, or icons. Other
languages may have more or less than 26 characters leaving more or
less potentially blank locations. In order to fill these locations,
the user can be allowed to program certain locations with
characters (or even shortcut functions) of their choice. Often,
there are more than the standard 12 keys that make up a keypad.
These additional keys (sometimes referred to as function keys) can
also be sectioned to increase the number of inputs available for a
single key press.
[0029] The design, layout, order, or sequencing of the keys on the
keypad or the characters on the keys is considered a design choice.
Thus, the illustration of a keypad that resembles a standard
telephone keypad and the sectioning of each key into four corners
and a center area is merely exemplary.
[0030] In addition, the design, layout, order, or sequencing of the
keys on alternate keypads is also flexible. There can be multiple
alternate keypads that have different character arrangements. With
multiple alternate keypads, a user can choose a keypad for a
particular purpose including different languages or character
sets.
[0031] One of ordinary skill in the art can readily adapt the
teachings of the present invention to accommodate other keypad
designs and individual key designs.
[0032] Specific embodiments of an invention are disclosed herein.
One of ordinary skill in the art will readily recognize that the
invention may have other applications in other environments. In
fact, many embodiments and implementations are possible. The
following claims are in no way intended to limit the scope of the
present invention to the specific embodiments described above. In
addition, any recitation of "means for" is intended to evoke a
means-plus-function reading of an element and a claim, whereas, any
elements that do not specifically use the recitation "means for",
are not intended to be read as means-plus-function elements, even
if the claim otherwise includes the word "means".
* * * * *